Forgotten Relic: Test of Light
'Thymum' Tommy walked left and right as he looked into the cave that seemed to go for miles wondering where Shade was and if he was okay. Suddenly his wrist started ringing as he pressed the button and saw Leina in the view. Shade tumbled out of the cavern, dizzy and exhausted. "Looking for someone?" he asked, smiling. "Or would you prefer I go back in there, dismember the creature who just forked over my newest power, and hand over it's head?" "I'll call you later....." Tommy whispered as he turned and was shocked to see the condition Shade was in, "Boy what happened to you? Looks like you went ten rounds with a god or something." He said handing him some ointment for his wounds as well as some bottle water. "You could say that. Pissed me off though. He used everyone against me, especially my only love. If I ever see him again, he's dead." Shade said, taking the ointment and covering the more major wounds. "Now then, shall we finish what we came here for, or twiddle our thumbs?" Tommy sensed something new was filled inside Shade that reminded him of his biggest rival ever, "Alright then let's get going." He said as he started walking towards the direction of the final item. Shade walked behind, feeling emotions he never felt before. For the entirety of his "life", he had a beautiful woman who stood beside him no matter what, even as he was damned. He was a fraud, a copy. Although, that did beg the question he had yet to answer, or find an acceptible one. If he wasn't ever human, how did half of his memories come about? Plus the fact someone spent years waiting for the right people to be born...he was betting on his creator as the one behind it all. Tommy could sense the uneasiness eminating from Shade but decided not to ask until he wanted to talk about it. The two traveled till the sun came down at which the two found another safe cave to spend the night to allow Shade time to recover from his ordeal that he endured. Tommy was chomping down on some meat when he looked outside the cave at the stars shining brightly in the sky. "Man, hard to believe that each of those stars lived a galaxy filled with different species." He said smiling. "Yeah. And if we don't hurry, it'll be all destroyed. And I'm to blame. If I didn't have a desire to live, this wouldn't be happening." Shade said, still pondering the oddity of his supposed memories, of a sister that was never his, of a mother he never had, a father who was never there. "Just think, might be better if I wasn't 'born'." he added with disgust. "Maybe.... then again maybe not, I've notice something different about you Shade and it isn't because of the relic you got or whatever enemy you faced. It has to do with what you finally regained..... Yourself." Tommy said as he stood up and walked out of the cave. "I know to you it might not seem like the best idea in history but trust me, it'll be one of the greatest moments in your life when you realize who and what you truly are, not what someone else told you to be." He said looking at him. "You say I regained myself? I'd say you're right. I've always doubted everything about me. Who am I? Why must I be broken open as if God decided to use me as a cosmic joke? I lost everything I knew when I was a child. God must hate me or something. Oh, wait. I don't freakin exist. When I die, I'll be nothing. Once my limbs go dumb in the embrace of the abyss, I won't see hevean or hell. To me, God doesn't mean anything. That's what I truly have. A deity that means nothing to me. Tell me, if you could walk with all the death and chaos that I lived in a pile of fake memories, would you try? Or would you go mad from realizing my heart aches for nothing?" "If it coming to the conclusion that I finally would realize who I was meant to be then I would do it fifty times over." Tommy replied sitting back down into the cave. "It's hard for me to imagine if God really does exist because of everything that I used to believe in turned out to be false. However given the fact I'm still even breathing at this point is nothing short of a miracle so maybe the reasons for everything you ever been through were leading up to this moment?" He said as he got up and walked towards Shade. "Listen I know you might not want to believe me or not, but no matter what happens to me or you or anyone I can atleast say it's been intresting getting to know you Shade Kageyo." Tommy said extending his hand for a shake. Shade shook his hand. "Trust me, you'll be seeing worse as I start getting more emotions back." "I've dealt with something more than you ever could be." Tommmy replied as he shook Shades hand and went to his mat to get some rest. 'Morning' The morning sun rose on another day in Thymum as many of the Hydra's were now appearing more frequently all over the location of the final relic. Tommy and Shade arrived just as they saw the entrance to the cave which was blocked by a nine-headed Hydra. "Oh beautiful You get the two stone golems while I have to deal with Mr. Eight-Head right there." Tommy said as he and Shade were standing behind some rocks to avoid being detected. "Nine. He has nine heads. you miscounted." Shade corrected. "Worse, he's huge. Makes the one we killed the other day look like a bug." Tommy took in his biggest breath ever and came out of hiding, "Big or not we don't have time to waste, the last relic is in there and I'm gonna make sure we get it." He replied as he walked calmy towards the beast. Shade jumped in front of Tommy. "Kid, that thing might decide to eat you. I've lived a full life. Let me become ugly's chew toy while you slip passed me and into the cave. I might not be as fast as before, but I'm sure I can distract it." Tommy chuckled a bit before instantly passing through Shade like he wasn't even there, "Relax, there is another reason I am the Leader of The Legendary Six." Tommy said as he went in front of the beast which roared right into his face. TOmmy roared back but even louder causing some of the rocks to break apart and the Hydra to lay down in front of Tommy. "Come on, he's friendly just wanting to make sure I was the one." Tommy said happily as he pet the Hydra. "Oh that's not fair. I wanted to test out my new skills." Shade said, mock pouting. "Relax you'll have your chance soon after I get the relic and then we go after Voulkrin but for right now just stay here with the Hydra." Tommy replied as he entered the cave. "Fine." Shade growled, sitting on the ground and assuming a metitative position. 'Inside the cave' As Tommy entered the cave and started walking deeper and deeper into it, moments of his life suddenly passed by him as if he was reliving them. All he could think of was everything that he had done up to this point and unlike Shade he still couldn't find meaning into why a Human who is bred for Chaos and Destruction would be able to lead The Protectors of the Universe. "Tommy......." The sound of a female voice echoed through the cave. "Who's there????" Tommy replied as looked around and couldn't see anyone. "You know who Tommy........" ''It said making Tommy looked around trying to find out where the voice was coming until he saw what appeared to be glowing aura surrounding the entire cave as it all headed towards an opening of light. As Tommy ran through the light he found himself in what appeared to be a church from Human-design, he looked around and looked at the alter with someone standing there with a cloak. "Were you the one who called me???" Tommy asked steping foward. "''Yes.... I am glad to see you have arrived, I am known as Andromana." The person said as the person shreaded the cloak and revealed a very endowed woman holding a sword at the hip. Tommy slightly blushed but shook his head realizing that this was part of the trial in order to retrieve the weapon he seeked. "What must I do in order to recieve the relic I seek?" Tommy asked. Andromana smiled as she then transformed into a stream of light which flew all over until it wrapped around Tommy's body as it then regained physical form with her hand right on Tommy's neck. "I'' can sense in your heart that you see what you wish so why not claim your reward''?" She said as she started to slightly reveal her breast. Tommy blushed but then pushed her out of the way as he glared at her, "I am not here to be tempted by you, I need the Relic now!!" Tommy roared summoning his Weapon-Form. "Oh come now put those away....... after helping to rid the universe of Weivlar, don't you believe you earned the right to everything your heart desires." She said changing her form into now wearing a bikini two piece. "Enough!!!" Tommy roared as he quickly went in for the slash but was instantly stopped by one finger as he was then paralyzed from his entire body. "Silly boy, why do you deny your primial instincts after all no matter what you have learnd you're still just human." She said as Tommy fell to the ground and she sat on his stomach. "I may be Human but I will not subcome to basic emotions." He said as she laughed and slightly licked his cheek. "No matter who you try to convince wheither it be me or the entire universe, nothing will ever change what you truly are." Andromana said as she showed the earth and many of it's inhabitants. She then picked a random location. "In existance there are parts of chaos Sentiant Beings will always posses, Sloth, Greed, Rage, Lust, Pride, Envy, and Gluttony. It lives within us creating chaos and destruction" Andromana said showing Tommy images of slaugter, pestillance, and death. Tommy tried to endure as much as he could but finally snapped and cried histarically, "Why must you show these awful images?!" Tommy shouted as tears poured down his face. "To show that you must stop denying who you are, you were born human and you will die human but that does not mean even with Jakin that you yourself are immune to evil." She said as suddenly energy emered from her hands as she pressed on his forehead. "I have deemed you worthy to wield this weapon but you must never forget that good is not always good and evil will not always be evil." Andromana replied as she disappeared leaving Tommy alone and passed out. Outside the Cave Shade was sitting outside of the cave eyeing the hydra carefully. He didn't trust the giant serpent, nor it's tendency to regrow heads as often as they were cut. In fact, he flat out hated snakes, their unhinged jaw always scared him. C'mon kid. Get through with it. I'm liable to cook us a reptile dinner if you make me wait anymore. After an hour later or so, a black figure was walking towards the entrance of the cave as it then went out into the opening and was revealed to be Tommy wearing jeweled Gauntlets on both his forearms. "Oh man haven't had anything like before." He said rubbing his head as he sat down on a rock and looked at Shade, "How long was I gone?" "Couple hours by human standards. Then again, how the Hell do I know? Time's gone down the crapper. Now, how about I go make something to eat? I'm tempted to kill a giant many headed snake for dinner, although the question is, would the meat be safe?" The hydra roared as it armed itself for battle but Tommy simply put his hand on it and smiled, "We're not going to eat you but we will need your help." Tommy said grinning. 2 hours later Tommy, Shade, and the Hydra were at the tallest mountain peek roasting what seemed to be a giant beast, as it finished Tommy handed the Hydra his share making it leave. Tommy stared choming on the food like a mad man, "Well you can't say this wasn't worth the two hours of hunting now can you?" Tommy asked chuckiling at Shade. "I hate snakes. Especially ones that won't die easily." Shade said, ripping some meat with his elongated cainines. Even though he wasn't a vampire like his...'sister', he was thankful to be created with a set of fang like teeth. It made shredding meat so much simpler. "Come on lighten up, we finally got both of the weapons." Tommy said shining the Gauntlets that were on his forearms, "Though I kind of wished for a blade or something else." He said laughing. "Leave the sword handling to the pro, ok? I trained under the best swordsman in the universe. That, and I know how to fight even the most unorthadox weapons with just a sword. No fancy shit, just a wakizashi and my wits. Ever have your blade stuck in a chain? It's a hard situation to escape." "Ha! you called those cool breezes sword slashes?? My claws make better weapons." Tommy said chuckiling as he went back to eating. After an hour of silence as the two finished their meals, Tommy looked at Shade, "So when we defeat Volkurin think you might be intrested in staying?" He asked. "I don't know. I thought that maybe after this, I can finally stop fighting. But then, I don't know what'll happen. I'm probably gonna end up dying of old age before I actually get old, which sucks. But, I'm pushing sixty years old. Too bad I don't remember most of it. I must be senile." Shade joked. "But I want to see her face, just one more time before I fade. A last smile. The smile I died for already. I hope she won't hate me for what I did." "This girl you talk about must be really special to you.... May I ask what her name is?" Tommy said as he laid down onto the floor. "Loran. The only person I've ever loved. Bael himself couldn't stop me, and it's because I had her by my side. But, I'm not even real to her. I'm a fake copy of a man she married. The man died, and her scientist father made me. She never once told me, so was it love she had for me, or was it just lust for a dead man?" "Man oh man, you and I two of a kind." Tommy said pressing some buttons on his wrist as he revealed a purple energy-being with a female figure. "Her name is Leina, my girl." He said chuckling. "I think for whatever reason the two people we care about most found us to be what they were looking for, I know Loran loved you or else she would have even bothered to look at you." He said standing up. "I know it might not look it but she probably misses you like crazy, and, I know someday you'll be able to be back with her." He said staring right into Shade's eyes. "Yeah, well, her husband's back in the picture. How, I don't honestly care. They're happy together, and that's all I really care about. You know, all this time, I wondered something. It all makes sense now, but there used to be a few people who called me Nero Angelo, one of the Kensei. Turns out, they were thinking of the real guy. So, not only am I SOL on getting my girl back, I'm no longer able to protect her anyway. Not to mention, I have no actual soul, so death is pretty hard for me to pull off. You're lucky though. You are a living person. You have a girl who loves you because you are unique." "Actually it didn't start out that way, she hated my guts when we met but it wasn't until she saw the person I was that we finally became a couple. I know it must seem like everything is ripped out of your life but it doesn't have to be, I may lost my parents but I will always remember the good that was brought to me and I think the same should be with you too. The past no longer controls you but the memories of all the good times will never leave you wheither you think your alive or not." Tommy said smiling. "Nice try kid. All it takes is someone with the right words to overwrite my mind. And don't say heart. I don't have one. In fact, I don't have any internal organs. And yet, I feel as if I had a heart, and it was broken into a thousand shards of glass, steamrolled and burned to ash. How do you humans deal with it? The pain is killing me." "I think it's because through the experiance of all that pain and suffering can we truly find ourselfs as well as become who we want to be." Tommy said looking up at the stars. "Lucky you. I lived so long without my emotions. I had to lock them up because if I ever lost control of my anger or sadness, I could cause an ice age. My power over ice was brutal. I killed men by freezing their blood mid-flow and causing their hearts to freeze solid. So yeah, try going twenty years without feelings. If it weren't for Loran, I would have forgotten how to smile, to say words of love, and yet, as I look back on them, the words, the actions, the smiles, they were hollow and false." "And yet you continue talking about her, if they were really hollow and false you would have given up on trying to become good, I think deep down inside whatever you have, there's a part of you that knows all that was true." Tommy said as he got up and went to his mat. "You have the power to become better and redeem yourself, You just have to feel like you deserve it." He said pulling the blanket over his body and closed his eyes. "I don't deserve anything." Shade said before allowing sleep to visit him. He drempt of years far gone, of a woman he loved more that life itself, of people he once called friend. 'Morning' The sun rose up shining it's bright rays all over the valley waking up many of the beasts as they then went to begin their day, Tommy and Shade were finishing the last of their packing as they were now preparing to head towards the Void to finally face Volkurin. "Alright that's everything." Tommy said putting the two bags into a special cube that shrunk them down into it's shape. "Now that we got the items, it's time for us to find Volkurin." Tommy said summoning his beast Okin from his home as he jumped on him. Shade leapt up on the dragon and took a deep breath. "If we screw up, alot of people are gonna die." "No, if we screw up all of reality will be finished." Tommy replied with a serious face as he then concentrated Jakin into the jewel on Okin's back to allow him to open a Synch Gate. "Before we do anything, we gotta find Quinkra and see where the Void is." He replied as Okin entered through the gate. Well, hurry up kid. I don't feel like wasting any seconds we could use to fight." After an hour of passing through the gateway they eventually made their way towards Purgatory but found the entire place burnt down and many of the care-takers were dead. "Man....What the heck happened???" Tommy wondered as Okin landed and he jumped off to see how much damage there was. "In this case, the proper phrase is oh my Bael. This place looks like the Hunters came through here. Holy crap. Even I alone couldn't do THIS." Shade freaked out. The two kept walking noticing that the souls that they saw before were now missing, after searing the entire area they heard a moan coming from near one of the resting places for spirits. Tommy looked and was shocked. "QUINKRA!!!" Tommy yelled as he ran towards her and held her in his hands, "What happened to the souls and you?" Tommy asked using Jakin to heal some of her injuries. "It was Volkurin, he took my power and that of the souls...... he became more powerful than even me in my own domain." She replied coughing a bit as Tommy helped her up. "What do you expect? He's the big bad. He's supposed to get stronger. After all, have you not read a shonen manga before? They're a test we must overcome to prove power levels are bullshit or something like that. Where is he now?" "How bout right behind you?" 'a voice said as it suddenly a figure appeared right behind and punched Shade sending him flying while then it turned towards Tommy and blasted him deep into the ground. '"Pathetic." 'It said as it picked up Quinkra and disappeared. "Oh crap.... that hurt." Tommy said holding his gut as he got the wind knocked out of him. "Again, even I in my prime can't do that." Shade said, picking Tommy up off the ground. Tommy leaned on Shade a bit before he then sat down on the ground still clutching his stomach from the intense pain he endured. "He must have taken Quinkra to the Void." He said trying to null the pain a bit. "Well, I can't think of where else you'd take anyone you hold a grudge, can you? Take 'em to the closest thing to Hell. It's what I'd do at any rate." Tommy stood up after numbing the pain as he then bit down on his thumb trying to come up with an idea on how he and Shade would be able to find the Void. Suddenly it hit him. "I got it!!!" Tommy said summoning Okin as he then jumped on him and charged the Synch Gate on his back once again. Shade lept on top of the massive dragon and smirked. "Time to fight the Final Boss, eh?" Okin blasted the energy out opening the Synch Gate as he passed through, "Unless we know where the Void is, no final battle just yet but I might have an idea of what species might be able to locate it for us." Tommy replied as he sat down. "You better be right, or else, alot of people are probably gonna die. We can't rely on the baddie playing fair." Shade said. "Relax, I'm not gonna let that happen not or ever." Tommy said as he pumped more Jakin energy into Okin making him go faster than before. 'Burlang A ripple appeared in the sky as it then snapped causing the Synch Gate way to open as Okin came through and landed on the ground. Tommy and Shade got off as they looked around, "This is where she's suppose to meet me at." Tommy said checking his watch for the time. Suddenly right then and there an energy blast came out of nowhere and smacked Tommy right into the ground, then a giant beast appeared and tackled Okin which then made the two fly high into the sky. "YOU JERK!!!!" A female voice said as right there appeared one of the natives of Burlang, the Phontashin, which was a female holding a sword with an angry Jakin aura surrounding her. "Oh man not again." Tommy groaned clutching his stomach as he got the wind knocked out of him yet again and laid there till he was then picked up by the girl, "DO you have any idea how long I waited for a stupid call?!?!" She yelled as then suddenly she kissed Tommy passionately which Tommy struggled at fist but then surrendered to it. "I'm sorry, I had some stuff to take care of, and, not to mention I got roped into saving the universe once again." Tommy replied breathless after they stopped kissing. Leina smiled and gave him a hug, "I missed you." "Me too." Tommy said hugging her back. Shade jumped away from the dragon before it was sent flying. "It's my fault. If I could learn to stay dead, you wouldn't have to worry." he said, walking past the embracing couple. Tommy let go of Leina as he then hit Shade in the back of the head, "Shut up man, it's not your's or anyone elses fault that Volkurin is out okay?" Tommy said as Leina coughed a bit hinting him to introduce her. "Oh right, Shade Kagekyo this is Leina Govi, Leina this is Shade a new friend of mine." He said. "Pleasure to meet you, I'm sorry you had to see that, Tommy has told me everything about you and I agree with him you shouldn't blame yourself." She said bowing with respect. Suddenly Okin and the other beast came down and were playing with each other. "I believe you've met my pet Tripticore." She said smiling as the beast shrunk down and licked his mistress. Shade mearly nodded. "M'lady, allow me to remind you, if he told everything, you'd be scared." he said, drawing his two swords, testing the balence of them both, Shinjitsu Zai-no and the black one he had yet to name. "Oh no he told me everything but trust me, I do not get scared easily comes with the responsibilties of being part of The Six Legendary Beings." Leina replied chuckling. "Easy you two, look Leina I'm not exactly here for a visit did you get my message?" Tommy asked. "Yes though it was a bit disturbing, you came to the right place to try and find what you're looking for but it'll take sometime to get a proper location." Leina said as she put her pet back into her own wristband with a jewel in the middle of it. "How much?" Tommy asked. "I should have the location by tommorrow morning, that's the best I can do on such short notice." Leina replied making Tommy sigh as he looked at Shade. "We gotta make due for now." Tommy told Shade. "Great. Another wasted day. We'd be lucky if he stays where he is." Shade said, resheathing his swords. "Think about it, why hasn't he attacked yet? Simple he still need to control his power which means we still have a window of opprtunity to make sure he doesn't do anything." Tommy said looking at him. "For now since you guys seem to be in a hurry why not come stay with me and my sister?" Leina asked. "I'm all for it, at least this way we have one final piece of sleep on something soft before everything goes down." Tommy said as Leina hugged him and held his hand. "You coming?" They both asked Shade. "Coming." he replied , walking over to them, his crimson eyes blocked by raven hair. He loved when no one could see his eyes, the only way to read his emotion at the time. Needless to say, he was bad at bluffing when his eyes could be seen. Nexerus The three eventually made their way towards Leina's sister's house as she took out a key and opened the door, "Come on in and make yourself at home." Leina replied as she went up the stairs. "Not bad, I was only here once but her sister really changed alot of stuff." Tommy said as he looked at some of the photos and waved at one of them which turned into a Hologram of Tommy and her plus four other people at the beach. "Bael damn, your advanced tech scares me, you know that? I'm more inclined to trust magic over a computer though." Shade said, laughing softly, pulling a worn photo of himself and Loran from his coat. "I'm surprised I still carry this. Honestly, the sword that killed me should have torn it apart, and the flames of death would have turned it to ash." "To be honest this "Technology" is less science and more magic itself actually, everything in the house that is Technology is run by Jakin energy which is mystic in the sense." Tommy said telling that Shade wasn't listening. "Maybe that picture still being intacted is a sign." Tommy said as he sat down on the couch and turned on the T.V "I told you, a fake like me has nothing. I'd rather she be happy then having my way in this life. I lost my chance to be with her, and that's not fair, but she deserves what she wants." "If that's what you truly wish then I hope you find peace with this decision." Tommy said as Leina was easedropping from the top of the stairs. "Leina you can come down now." Tommy said as she came down the stairs blushing. "Sorry." Leina said as she sat down next to her boyfriend and watched T.V with him, "Frankly I'm suprised that you aren't shocked at my apperance Shade." Leina said looking at him. "No, nothing shocks me anymore. If I could stare Bael in the eye and quote Jesus Christ Himself, I got nothing to be afraid of." Tommy, Leina, and Shade sat the rest of the day watching T.V and eating as they then soon went to their beds for a good night sleep knowing that tommorrow might be the last day of their lives.